Arrangement in concertina



Oct. 2, 1956 F. B. FRIDSTRCM 2,764,906

ARRANGEMENT IN CONCERTINA Filed Jan. 6, 1953 United States Patent ARRANGEMENT IN CON CERTINA Folke Bernhard Fridstriim, Stockholm, Sweden Application January 6, 1953, Serial No. 329,813

3 Claims. (Cl. 84-376) The present invention is an arrangement in concertina and has for its object executing of variations in sound intensity during playing.

A common concertina gives from each vocal tongue by playing a drawn out tone of substantially constant intensity of sound, at least if the bellows are compressed or lengthened with constant velocity. Smaller variations in the sound intensity can be produced by lengthening or compressing the bellows with a variable velocity. The present invention has for its object to execute side by side with this kind of varying the sound intensity another sound effect, which gives rise to a more regularly recurrent variation in the sound intensity with as a consequence a music of a peculiar, for the human listener egging on kind. According to the invention this music is produced thereby, that the air stream carrying the sound regularly is subjected to constrictions, which give rise to a regular increasing and decreasing of the sound intensity. These constrictions of the air stream may according to the invention be carried out either before or after the air passes the vocal tongues in for the object intended channels.

The invention is principally characterized in that in the channel between the bellows of the concertina on one side and the surrounding atmosphere on the other side, which driving air passes setting vocal tongues into operation for producing sound, there are arranged besides members, actuated by the row of keys for regulating the air stream to the respective vocal tongues, means constricting the air stream and arranged to be put into operation by a driving device in the object of accomplishing variations in the greatness of the constrictions during playing. Other characteristic features of the invention will be described in the following in connection with a. preferred embodiment given as an example.

The accompanying drawing illustrates an embodiment of the invention. Fig. l is a perspective view of one end of a concertina provided with an arrangement according to the invention and Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a detail of Fig. 2.

On the figures 1 designates the frame of the treble cover on a common concertina of known type, which latter is assumed known and in consequence thereof not nearer disclosed. 2 designates the treble cover according to the invention and 3 the knobs of the keys, which latter operate the air streams to the respective vocal tongues. Said keys and vocal tongues with accessories belonging to a concertina of normal type are well known in the art and as such not shown in the drawing, because they are not necessary to do the invention understandable for the reader. On a normal concertina the cover 2 is perforated in order that the air streams, which from the bellows of the concertina through channels pass the vocal tongues and contrary, giving rise to the sounds, may pass out and in, respectively, through these perforations. According to the invention now this cover 2 (in the drawing the treble cover) is replaced by a cover of a special construction, fixed by screws 4 to the frame 1. This cover 2 is, however, not perforated in usual way but provided with four apertures 5, into which pipes 6 are fastened. The apertures 5 are from below covered by perforated plates 7, fixed to the frame 1 by screws 8. 9 designates an electrical motor which is fixed to the cover 2 by welding or in another way. An electric current is delivered to the motor by a wire 10. The motor shaft 11 extends through all the pipes 6 and is journalled in them. A circular disc 12 in each pipe 6 is fastened to the shaft 11. The disc is of a somewhat smaller diameter than the inside diameter of the pipe in order that by turning the shaft 11 with aid of the motor 9 the discs 12 freely may be revolved in their respective pipe 6. The pipes 6 and the discs 12 are preferably, as in the present case, manufactured of a transparent material, for instance plastic or something like that, which also may be the case with the perforated plates 7. An angle plate designated 13, is fixed to the cover 2 by a screw 14. The angle plate is a fastening device for an electric lamp 15 with holder 16. The lamp is fed with electric energy by a wire 17.

In common concertinas two vocal tongues are provided for each note, one for each direction of the air stream, so that the note can be played by compressing as well as by lengthening the bellows, a fact which is so well known, that it does not call for any closer explanation here. The air stream passing the respective vocal tongues setting them into operation, thereby gives rise to tones. The air thereupon passes either out into the atmosphere or into the bellows, depending on the bellows being compressed or lengthened. In the following the case only will be studied, as being the most simple, in which the bellows are being compressed and the sound waves, carried by the air stream, are being passed out into the atmosphere through the perforated cover. On account of the fact that in an ordinary concertina the cover permits free passage of the air stream, the cover does not actuate the sound, which remains unvaried.

According to the present invention, however, the cover is replaced by a cover of a special kind, in which in accordance with the example given all the perforations of the cover debouch into pipes 6, provided with discs 12 arranged to be turned more or less regularly by the shaft 11 of the motor 9 during playing. On account of this fact the air stream by passing the pipes 6 will be constricted alternately more or less by the discs, giving rise to a peculiar vibrant music during playing. By combining playing of this instrument with lighting-effects from the lamps 15, which may have different colours, lighting-efiects are received in the form of reflections of attractive character, since the rotary motion of the discs 12 also gives rise to throwing around of luminous rays in the room. That is specially the case, when the pipes 6, the discs 12 and the plates 7 or anyone of them are manufactured of a transparent material.

The same peculiar musical eifect is of course also obtained by lengthening instead of compressing the bellows, in which case the air consequently passes the channel in the contrary direction, but this time through the doubled parts of the channel operating their vocal tongues. That means, that the air stream with the same effect may be constricted before as well as after the air stream has to pass or has passed the vocal tongues. Because the treble vocal tongues are those which most prominently co-operate to produce the melody of the music, it is most important that the constrictions are effected on the air stream which sets or has set said tongues into operation, which however does not prevent that also the bass vocal tongues may be provided with corresponding constriction devices.

Instead of using rotating discs 12 as constriction devices in the pipes 6, said discs 12 may be replaced by discs, which are to be moved up and down or to and fro, turned round a hinge at one edge of the disc, which does not necessarily need to be circular, but also can be of another arbitrary form. By disc movement of the last mentioned kind the motor must be provided with an ar rangement, which executes that movement of the discs, for instance the motor shaft may have eccentric projec tions operating the constriction discs. Also other constriction devices are imaginable although they could not all be exemplified here. Instead of an electric motor as driving member for the constriction discs or the corresponding devices a works of a watch may be used, driven by a spring, able to be wound up by hand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a concertina having bellows, reeds, a frame and a treble cover connected thereto for covering the treble compartment through which air is passed by the bellows to operate the reeds, said cover having at least one opening through which the air passes into and out of the compartment under the action of the bellows, the improvement which comprises a pipe secured to the cover and projecting outwardly therefrom and from the treble compartment, the pipe being open at both ends and having its open ends in substantial alignment with said opening to form a duct for passage of the air into and out of said compartment, a disc valve rotatably mounted in the pipe between the open ends thereof, and an electric motor mounted on the frame and connected to said disc to rotate the same in the pipe, whereby the disc imposes a varying constriction upon the passage of air to and from the compartment.

2. The improvement according to claim 1, comprising also a light source mounted on said cover in position for projection of light rays outwardly through the pipe from said chamber, whereby said disc also serves the function of varying the illumination provided by said light source through the pipe, in synchronism with the variations in said constriction.

3. In a concertina having bellows, reeds, a frame and a treble cover connected thereto for covering the treble compartment through which air is passed by the bellows to operate the reeds, said cover having at least one opening through which the air passes into and out of the compartment under the action of the bellows, the improvement which comprises a rotary disc valve mounted on the cover in position to control the flow of air through said opening and visible from outside the treble compartrnent, a motor on the frame connected to said disc to rotate the same and thereby impose a varying constriction upon the passage of air to and from the compartment by way of said opening, and a light source mounted in said compartment in position for projection of light rays outwardly through the opening and against the disc, whereby the disc also serves the function of varying the illumination provided by said light source through the opening, in synchronism with the variations in said constriction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 360,857 Crandall Apr. 12, 1887 894,650 Hohner July 28, 1908 1,554,782 Brasor Sept. 22, 1925 1,623,935 CasWell Apr. 5, 1927 1,760,141 Jones May 27, 1930 2,145,530 Rush Ian. 31, 1939 2,279,182 Snyder Apr. 7, 1942 2,629,044 Marfisi Feb. 17, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 215,454 Germany Oct. 28, 1909 375,025 Germany May 5, 1923 599,212 France Oct. 13, 1925 

